Drissa’s Story: From Fear to a Future (Burkina Faso)

“My name is Drissa, I am 12 years old and I come from the village of Tomba. I was in CM1 (4th grade) when everything changed. One day, while we were in class, armed men arrived on motorcycles. Our teacher told us to hide under the desks. I thought I was going to die. They gave us an ultimatum. After they left, we had no choice but to flee the village.”

Like hundreds of others, Drissa and his family fled to Gourcy, becoming internally displaced. They arrived with nothing: no home, no school, and no resources. For a time, they lived in the town’s stadium, struggling to survive.

“I wanted to go back to school, but my parents could not afford it,” Drissa explains. “So I started working, carrying luggage for travelers and lifting bags at the market to earn a few coins. I knew I had to do something.”

In this difficult context, Drissa was especially vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment by extremist groups. His situation changed the day he encountered a self-protection session organised by Association des Jeunes pour le Bien-être Familial (AJBF) as part of the GCERF-supported programme: “Protection of children at risk and victims of violence in the context of preventing violent extremism in the North and Sahel regions of Burkina Faso.”

Intrigued, Drissa joined the session. At the end, he shared his story with a facilitator. “I told them I wanted to learn a trade. They listened, gave me advice, and supported me. Today, I am in training to become a tire repairman. That’s my dream, to fix motorcycles, earn a living and support my family.”

By identifying and supporting children like Drissa – those most at risk – the project offers real alternatives to radicalisation. Through education, life skills, and livelihood opportunities, it helps vulnerable youth build resilience and reclaim hope.

Drissa is no longer just surviving. He is now a proud apprentice, on a path toward self-reliance, and an example of how preventing violent extremism can change lives.